Beautiful Tragedy

Shakespeare’s Othello has been seen not as an ordinary victim or villain, but is a combination of both presented as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat. (tragic-hero) throughout the play Othello is characterized as a strong-willed man who often trusts the wrong people which in turn leads to his demise. Othello begins the play as a good man with good values, who is a trusted solider and a loving,…

The arts of the western world have been largely dominated by the artistic standards established by the Greeks of the classical period. It is from the Greek word “theatron” meaning “a place for sitting”. It is said that the Greeks were the first people to erect special structures to bring audiences and theatrical performers together. The theatres were normally located near a populated area at the bottom, or cut out of a carefully selected, sloping hillside overlooking a seascape, plain, or city.…

The Festival of Dionysus was an ancient festival held in Athens, Greece in which three poets wrote three tragedies and one satyr play that were to be judged in a competition (“Great Dionysia”). All the plays by one poet were witnessed in one day, so the competition was held over a span of three days (Gaines and Westersund). The festival was held in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry (“Great Dionysia”). 2. What is the role of the chorus? The chorus was a group that generally…

The famous tragedy, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare has three different versions that are often debated regarding which one is authentic or closest to the original, as no one possesses the original copy. The three main versions that editors typically pull from as well as blend together are: quarto 1 (bad quarto), quarto 2 (good quarto), and the first folio (F). Quarto one is often not incorporated as much due to it being having the consistencies of a “rough draft”, so to speak. The first quarto…

Greek Theater Greek drama is said to have its roots from Athenian seasonal festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. These festivals occurred around 700 B.C.; they were filled with drunkenness and sexuality. Scholars believe there were four festivals during each of the seasonal change periods. The festival related to the Greek people planting, tending the vine, harvesting, and wine-making was in early December. This was called the Festival of Vintage. There was a…

A tragic hero is the main protagonist, a character with the potential to have heroic qualities. The tragic hero has a future of facing some sort of supernatural force or is fated by “the gods” to have a great suffering downfall or potentially a death. The tragic hero will potentially have a “tragic downfall”. The tragic downfall is what creates a relation and interest with the reader and this character. The story is usually set up for a great goal to be accomplished and the character that…

Chris Monroe Mr. Everett English 2322 April 29, 2016 The Truth in Othello The tragic play Othello by William Shakespeare is a play that induces many emotions in the audience for various characters on numerous occasions. One of the greatest philosophers in mankind, Aristotle, states in his book Poetics that “poetry, therefore, is a more philosophical and a higher thing than history…” (Poetics Part IX). Between poetic literature and historical accounts, poetic literature is much easier to…

The chorus would dance and sing and act out an event and it eventually it evolved into tragedy.(4) The literal Greek translation of tragedy means “goat song” which referred to the sacrificial goats for Dionysus or the fact that the actors sometimes wore goatskins when performing.(1) Early on, the chorus was simply on a flat patch of ground.(1) But when plays were…

While a powerful tragic piece departs its reader with a sense of relief, it first derails the reader 's emotions into a frenzy of fear, pity, and sorrow. In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, Oedipus must save Thebes from the dreadful fortune cursed upon them. What Oedipus fails to realize is that he caused the plague through his fulfilled prophecy: to exchange rings with his mother and to terminate his father’s life. Over the course of the play, Oedipus slowly unravels his origins. His…

Wang December 18, 2015 Tragedy Essay Which is the better tragedy, according to Aristotle’s definition of tragedy: Medea or Oedipus Rex? According to Aristotle’s definition, a tragic hero is a distinguished person occupying a high position, living in a prosperous life and falling into misfortune due to his own tragic flaw which consequently leads to his reversal and late recognition. Medea and Oedipus Rex are both one of the best classical and well known examples of tragedy. Oedipus Rex fits…